The twelve poplar trees in this piece represent the twelve disciples in the Bible whose role is to carry a message of hope to people around the world. The foliage of diverse sizes and levels in the painting represents people of all faiths; the different races and opinions; the diversity that makes the world interesting and unique. The main structure represents the church or the sanctuary where everyone is invited to gather and learn from each other; a place that offers rest for the weary, help for the lost, food for the hungry, help for all. The blue door on the building represents calm and relaxation. The moon, which is larger than normal, provides a bright light to show the way. The artist uses many colors in this painting, but is careful to make sure that they all relate to each other and co-exist well in the painting together.
Sunday, May 01, 2011
"Twelve Disciples"
This painting is one of two that I just recently entered in a competition in California. It is measured 24" X 36" oil on canvas. This is one of my many Spiritual series I have done.
Friday, April 29, 2011
When We Grow Up ... ?
6x8" oil on archival panel
This little brother and sister seem to be standing here wondering ....
"When We Grow Up .... "
...will the beaches still be this clean? Will the water still be this clear? Will the sky still be this beautiful? Can you promise us that?
Email the artist at: khwitmer@juno.com
If you'd like to get advance notice of my upcoming works before they're even listed at auction, click here to submit your email.
Saturday, April 23, 2011
"Toy Stories" series
I'm posting a couple of the other paintings I've been working on in the""Toy Stories"" series. I'm especially intrigued by old toys that were hand made in America with pride pre World War II.
This is my first "Toy Stories" painting - the one that started it all...
"Toy Stories - Haulin' Pins" Second in the series. The bowling pins are dated 1940's. These antique toys generate a lot of thoughts. Couldn't plug 'um in and didn't need anything but your imagination to bring them to life.
This is my first "Toy Stories" painting - the one that started it all...
"Toy Stories - Haulin' Pins" Second in the series. The bowling pins are dated 1940's. These antique toys generate a lot of thoughts. Couldn't plug 'um in and didn't need anything but your imagination to bring them to life.
Monday, April 11, 2011
Haulin "A"
I'm working on a series of antique items. This is from a series of toys. The Wyandotte truck is one borrowed from a friend and has character that talks to me ... :) The frame in the background is from a old ruin (the window frame in the wall we usually don't see. ) It has tones of blue green and tan which I thought complimented the antique blocks nicely. If you'd like to see the progress of this painting, I invite you to view it on my blog (gipson-artist.blogspot.com).
The truck demands attention and usually gets it... :) Here he is - Haulin; "A"
The truck demands attention and usually gets it... :) Here he is - Haulin; "A"
Friday, April 08, 2011
A Promise of Spring
The last of winter melts away to reveal the onset of spring. This was especially difficult to paint because the drop of water kept falling off and I had to wait for it to drip again since I painted this "en plein air". If you buy that, then maybe you're interested in buying the flea circus I have up for sale. :))
Visit Kirk Witmer Fine Art
Email the artist at: khwitmer@juno.com
they're even listed at auction, click here to submit your email.
Click here to bid on this painting
Thursday, April 07, 2011
After the Storm by Kirk Witmer
Here I'm trying to invoke that feeling of the fresh, "clean air" smell just after the thunderstorm passes. Does it take you there?
Email the artist at: khwitmer@juno.com
If you'd like to get advance notice of my upcoming works before they're even listed at auction, click here to submit your email.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Johnson City 3 by Kirk Witmer
I'm doing a series of paintings from my visit to Johnson City. The pathways in Johnson City's preserved original settlement just seem to wind on and on. October was a good time of year for a nice long walk. I think this painting has pretty good "aerial perspective" and really shows the distance and the length of this path. (Location: 30.2745,-98.414795)
Email the artist at: khwitmer@juno.com
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Doodle
This is one of my favorite activities. Doodles on an old music sheet creates interesting patterns.
You can do it anywhere (easily portable) and there is no "right way" or "wrong way" to it.
I was gifted with a lot of old music books, so I use them for many projects.
I thought the name Rhythm Study was apropos for this piece.
You can do it anywhere (easily portable) and there is no "right way" or "wrong way" to it.
I was gifted with a lot of old music books, so I use them for many projects.
I thought the name Rhythm Study was apropos for this piece.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Rio Motel
I had never done a 6" X 6" painting. I had always done a bigger one such as 8" X 10" or more. I did this one for a competition that I was going to enter but changed my mind after another compeition came up and enter into that one instead. This painting is measured 6" X 6" acrylic on panel.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Fuchsia - 6x6
I love Fuchsia's but last summer I discovered... they don't like the Texas heat! I was able to snap a few shots during her brighter days before we bid our goodbyes.
Here's my tribute to her...
Here's my tribute to her...
Saturday, March 19, 2011
"The Mistress" by Kirk Witmer
I haven't posted in several weeks because ever since Feb 19th my attention has been focused on this, my first commission. It started out to be a surprise birthday present but that didn't quite work out, so I'm sure it's okay to reveal now.
This is a 1955 Ford V8 pickup truck, which appeared in the movie Machete starring Danny Trejo and Robert Deniro. The owner of this vehicle spent about 10 years getting it to this condition, which probably accounts for why his wife has nicknamed it "The Mistress".
Notice that it has no door handles. The push of a button on a remote control unlocks and opens the doors. This baby is tricked out!
Email the artist at: khwitmer@juno.com
Tuesday, March 08, 2011
Sunday, March 06, 2011
Brush Stroke Demo
There is probably more "wrong" with this painting, than what's correct about it. I'm posting it to show how colors can be blended using "cross hatch" brush strokes. I was teaching this week and one of my students, "P", has a very bad habit of using mainly horizontal brush strokes... the basic house painting method. When you do this, it's very difficult to blend colors or soften lines. This is a 20 minute demo I did, using alizarin, french ultramarine blue, cad yellow pale and white paints on a 9"x12" canvas pad. The whole point of this demo was to show:
1. how to quickly blend the colors using cross hatching strokes
2 you really can make almost any color out of the 3 primary colors and white
3 the use of a few selective bold strokes can give a painting a "finished" look
Maybe I should go back and make corrections in the glaringly wrong areas. What do you think??
Connie Hartsfield
No Longer a Blank Canvas
Remember the big blank canvas I posted?? Well, it's no longer blank. Here it is with it's third layer of paint on it. It still has a long way to go. I post this picture to show that I have been working on it.... and to show how paintings progress. I know it's hard to imagine what it might finally be, but I do have a plan for what it will eventually become. Stay tuned....
Connie Hartsfield
Wednesday, March 02, 2011
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Geisha
This lady is in a 15X28 frame. It is one of the many Asian inspired artworks that are on display at Franklin's Fine Jewelry. Nancy Brown and I will be there this Friday evening, March 4th, from 6-8PM.
Our reception last month was cancelled because of the weather. I hope many people from Georgetown and Austin come out for the wine, food, and music around the square. Hope to see you there!
Our reception last month was cancelled because of the weather. I hope many people from Georgetown and Austin come out for the wine, food, and music around the square. Hope to see you there!
Monday, February 28, 2011
Hooray for Hollywood!

Well, I stayed up late last night to watch the Academy Awards. I still can't believe my childhood dreams of being a movie star never panned out! And although I missed being there in person by a few days I was actually in Hollywood just last Wednesday, only 4 days before the big award show, and I actually got to walk on the red carpet... ok, it was covered in plastic, but nonetheless, I got to walk on it! Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining, as an adult my ambitions have shifted somewhat, just recently I had three paintings accepted by the Round Rock Area Arts Council, and I am tickled pink! I just dropped them off at the Williamson County Annex today and they should be hanging there through the end of June. So I hope you'll get a chance to drop by and take a look!
Top Left: Serpent Dance
Top Right: Sun Worship
Bottom Left : Sun Serpent
All 9 x 12, acrylic
Friday, February 25, 2011
Blank Blog/Canvas vs New Blog/Painting
How to start a blog is just as puzzling as how to start a new painting. If it's a blank blog, it's not a blog. If it's a blank canvas, it's not a painting. With this analogy I've decided that starting this blog just has to have a similar process as starting a painting. Here's what you need:
1. Inspiration - inspiration for paintings strikes in so many different ways, something you see, something you hear, a dream... in this case, inspiration came from an email (from Kirk Witmer with WCAG tellng us we could have a blog)
2. Some idea of what you want the final product to be - hmm.... will it be floral, landscape, still life, abstract?.... I think I want my blog to be informative. I want it to tell about me as a person and an artist. Since I also teach painting, I want my blog to be instructional too.
3. You have to actually start the painting or blog. For me, it's like a big blank canvas. It will remain blank until I put paint, or words, on it.
So, this is the beginning of my blog. Will it be a daily blog? NO I've decided to post only when I have something to say or show. So today, I'm showing you the beginning of my next painting. Yep, it's a big blank canvas. .... more to come!
Connie Hartsfield
Monday, February 21, 2011
"Yellow Roses"
I have been reading up on Russian Impressionists and this painting is one example of using the Russian Impressionist techniques. One of my favorite Russian artist is Sergei Bongart and hopefully I will be able to master this techniques. I love the loose style and yet it is controlled in some areas. The set up of the still life is so simple and one of my favorite subject is using glass vase. This painting is measured 18" X 24" and is oil on canvas.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Bee Industrious
Oil on Masonite - 8"x10" (20x25cm)
I got really lucky one day last summer as I was practicing with my telephoto lens. All set up on the tripod and just as I was about to push the shutter button a bee flew by yelling "HEY!!! I wanna be in the picture too!" and jumped onto this Mexican sunflower. What more could a guy ask for!
I had fun with the background on this as I tried to capture the blurring you get with a shallow depth of field from using a longer lens.
I like for my paintings to tell a story so I normally don't paint flowers because I can never figure out what story they might bring to mind. But this was on my inspiration board and I felt like today I needed to paint something that I could complete in one day.
I got really lucky one day last summer as I was practicing with my telephoto lens. All set up on the tripod and just as I was about to push the shutter button a bee flew by yelling "HEY!!! I wanna be in the picture too!" and jumped onto this Mexican sunflower. What more could a guy ask for!
I had fun with the background on this as I tried to capture the blurring you get with a shallow depth of field from using a longer lens.
I like for my paintings to tell a story so I normally don't paint flowers because I can never figure out what story they might bring to mind. But this was on my inspiration board and I felt like today I needed to paint something that I could complete in one day.
Email the artist at: khwitmer@juno.com
Tuesday, February 08, 2011
Jester
Jester finished
I think it is finished! I usually have to sit a piece on the easel and look at it for a few days before I decide if it is really finished. This 12X12 canvas is a combination of painting with acrylic, collage with "painted and collaged" papers, with stamping on the background. It will be pretty hard to change at this point, so I'd better like it.
I think it is finished! I usually have to sit a piece on the easel and look at it for a few days before I decide if it is really finished. This 12X12 canvas is a combination of painting with acrylic, collage with "painted and collaged" papers, with stamping on the background. It will be pretty hard to change at this point, so I'd better like it.
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